For anyone who reached the pinnacle of their youth during the 1980s, Duty Free will undoubtedly resonate as one of the all-time classic British sitcoms.
Set in Spain, the show ingeniously capitalised on the Brits’ endless love for summer sun and holiday capers, etching its place in our hearts and becoming an indelible part of our cultural memory.
Birth of Duty Free
First aired on ITV in 1984, Duty Free was the brainchild of Eric Chappell and Jean Warr, who bestowed on the viewing public three glorious seasons of laughter, love triangles, and a generous serving of sunburn.
At the core of the show was the quartet of David and Amy Pearce and Robert and Linda Cochran, two British couples of different social strata who meet while on holiday and become entangled in a web of humour and misunderstanding.
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New faces
Now, as we find ourselves in 2023, there is a collective yearning for nostalgia, a potent craving for the return of simpler times. And what could be a better tonic for our current reality than a reboot of our beloved Duty Free?
The key to Duty Free’s original success was its characters, each with their distinct idiosyncrasies that painted an almost farcical portrait of British life abroad. While reimagining this classic, we would need a cast that embodies the essence of the original while also reflecting the diversity of modern Britain.
Step forward a dream reboot cast, a melting pot of seasoned performers and fresh talent: Tamsin Greig as Amy Pearce, Hugh Bonneville as David Pearce, Meera Syal as Linda Cochran, and Adrian Lester as Robert Cochran.
Tamsin, a seasoned performer known for her roles in Episodes and Friday Night Dinner, would bring a touch of middle-class pretentiousness mixed with warmth to Amy, while Hugh, our beloved Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey, would bring the right amount of befuddled charm to David.
Meera, renowned for her sharp comic timing, would infuse Linda with a new perspective, while Adrian, a veteran of stage and screen, would lend Robert an air of suave sophistication.
For an added twist, the talented Nico Mirallegro – perhaps best-known for Our Girl, could play David and Amy’s son, a wannabe travel blogger with a complicated love life. Finally, let’s throw in Miriam Margolyes as a mischievous, rule-breaking resident of the hotel, whose frankness and hilarity create regular disruptions to the planned tranquillity of the holiday.
Duty Free in 2023!
But what would Duty Free look like in 2023? A potent mix of the old and the new. The show could retain its sunny Spanish setting, given Brits’ enduring love affair with the Iberian Peninsula. However, the societal and cultural shifts of the past decades offer endless opportunities for modern dilemmas and comedic misadventures.
Imagine David and Amy grappling with the complexities of modern travel, like mobile boarding passes and cryptic hotel Wi-Fi passwords. Picture Robert and Linda navigating the Spanish property market post-Brexit or dealing with vegan tapas and eco-friendly hotel policies.
Warm-hearted humour
Moreover, the updated Duty Free could explore the intersection of different cultures and generations, touching on contemporary themes such as LGBTQ+ rights, racial identity, and digital nomadism, wrapped in a veneer of wit and warm-hearted humour.
The new Duty Free would not only serve as a comforting throwback for those who loved the original but also introduce a new generation to this classic series, reimagined for a contemporary audience. A reboot would allow the series to celebrate the original’s charm while reflecting the UK’s rich diversity, societal evolution, and the intricate tapestry that is modern British life abroad.
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Mix of modern and nostalgia
A Duty Free reboot offers a unique blend of nostalgia and novelty – a throwback to a time of laughter and carefree holidays while acknowledging the realities of 2023. And wouldn’t we all enjoy a hearty laugh and a virtual trip to the sun-soaked Spanish coastline?
Come on, ITV, you know it makes sense. Bring back Duty Free – because, frankly, you owe us a good laugh.
The original series of Duty Free is available to stream on ITVX.
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